The 2018 MLB All Star Game Selections

Well I tried to live tweet this as it happened but it all happened way too fast and I have about 9 followers so it made no sense (FOLLOW ME! @topshelfolson). So I decided to blog about it instead. I want to start by saying that I wish World Series home field advantage was still determined by the All Star Game. It made it much more interesting and the players played like it meant something, because it did. Well, here we go…

The NL

Most of these picks I agree with, but the rest I just can’t understand. 34 year old Nick Markakis will start in his first All Star Game. I fucking love this pick, he is hitting .324/.494/.886, but one stat that gets overlooked is Markakis has only struck out 40 times in 346 AB’s.

Alongside him will be Matt Kemp, who has put up his best numbers since he was a Dodger in 2012, and has also been in the MVP discussion due to his contributions while half of the Dodger core has been plagued with injuries.

Lastly in the outfield is Bryce Harper. This is a pick that I understand due to the ASG being in D.C. this year. His lackluster campaign in 2018 only means he was selected due to home field advantage and his name alone.

Willson Contreras will be half of the battery, and being a Cubs guy, I’m stoked he’s getting the recognition he deserves.

Freddie Freeman will play first base for the NL, which is a no brainer, as well as the other corner, Nolan Arenado at third base. Up the middle we have Brandon Crawford and Javy Baez, two of the most electric players in baseball this year. Both of which have unbelievable hands to go along with their incredible range. Starting on the bump is Max Scherzer with DeGrom, Nola, and Lester behind him. Bottom line is the NL is STACKED.

And don’t forget about the NL Reserves because this is a huge supporting cast…

The AL

The AL is just as big of a powerhouse as the NL. It can be argued that the AL has more high caliber players than the NL, and I definitely agree. The outfield will be unsurprisingly represented by Mookie Betts who is my front runner for the MVP this year, yes, over Mike Trout who will be in the outfield as well. Lastly in the outfield is Aaron Judge. This selection is along the same lines as Harper for me, as he was elected based on name and fan support alone.

Wilson Ramos is going to be behind the plate for the AL and is another pick where I applaud the fans. At the age of 30 this season he has a .289/.462/.802 slash line and has shown flashes of his 2016 Silver Slugger and All Star year.

At the corners, the AL has the Jose brothers. Jose Abreu from the South Side and Jose Ramirez from Tito’s Indians, both of which are great picks.

Up the middle will be Jose Altuve (duh) and Manny Machado representing the Orioles, even though I highly, HIGHLY doubt he will be in Baltimore much longer… but that is for another blog.

At the DH spot will be JD Martinez, who has been the missing piece in Boston since Papi left and he is running with it. Martinez is a huge producer and a strong contender for MVP alongside his Boston counterpart, Betts.

Starting on the bump will be either Chris Sale, Justin Verlander, Corey Kluber, or Gerrit Cole to name a few. Hard to see a team lose with that lineup.

Moose

Moose grew up in North and South Dakota (basically Canada) in a military family. His father passed on the Chicago sports scene to him at a young age in a very depressing time for Chicago Sports. He hates weather, traffic, and the housing market. But a lover of the Bears, Cubs, Hawks, and the Bulls (although he doesn’t pay much attention to the NBA). Cusses a lot but somewhere it says people who cuss a lot are the most honest people, and he is brutally honest. See more of Moose's posts